Does the Call of Duty League have room (or a need) to expand?

It’s been rumored that the Call of Duty League might be expanding. Is this a good idea and what can we expect from the CDL going forward?

Journalistic reports show that The Call of Duty League (CDL) is exploring the possibility of expanding the competition. By now, the North American markets, including Las Vegas, D.C, and Charlotte, show lots of interest in the league. Europe has some cities who are interested too.

Expansion during a pandemic?

Previous reports from Activision around August 2020 revealed that Call of Duty wasn’t intended to expand in 2021. The report released before the CDL inaugural season highlighted that the upcoming season would retain the same twelve teams. During the inaugural season, most fans considered the first season successful despite the coronavirus pandemic’s challenges. The pandemic led Activision to state there will be no expansion for the teams in 2021.

Activision’s monthly announcement also revealed that CDL would return to four-versus-four play instead of five-versus-five. This information made people believe that CDL would indeed need to expand after the four-versus-four announcement. However, employing the four-versus-four competition model meant most existing CDL players would soon be jobless while maintaining the league at 12 teams.

Also, each CDL franchise will have to free one team member. The consequence would likely cause a significant reshuffling for each team heading to the league’s second season.

Call of Duty League Staying at 12 Teams

Nevertheless, more news from reputable resources such as ESPN shows that Activision has decided that CDL will not be expanding until 2022. The facts behind this statement was the league being in its initial stages with more time required to display different league aspects. Additional ESPN snippets disclosed by the CDL commissioner state: “Our heads are currently down and focused on the 12 teams that have been with us since the beginning. We were oversubscribed with demand when we settled on our 12 and will do right by that demand at the appropriate time.”

Rumors from other sources also show several organizations such as the Rise Nation discussing the possibility of expansion with Activision. Besides that, the CDL clarified that it would not take any additional slots until 2022. The implications signify that at least 12 current league players will have to get new opportunities when Free Agency rolls around.
The league hopes to begin selling franchise slots for the 2022 season starting next summer. Moreover, press conferences conducted last year indicated that London Royal Ravens executive management hoped CDL would expand to Europe. The continent only features two teams in the league: the Paris Legion and Royal Ravens.

One of the main problems new investors are likely to encounter is the fixed price, which can surpass the previous $25 million for a franchise spot. A relatively new team would undoubtedly be at risk when it comes to paying up this considerable amount. Perhaps the figures might change if more potential investors consider paying for the competition, but no information is yet to be mentioned.

Expansion Measures

CDL commissioner Johanna Faries said there is exciting news in the future of the league in a statement made in early January 2021. Faries expressed concerns, especially for the upcoming months stating there are strategies to ensure fans are happy this year and in the future. In fact, she praised the progress of Warzone Weekend, which ran throughout the CDL 2020 season. She was also happy to see CDL is expanding its entrepreneurship into the Warzone discussions, creating opportunities for great things ahead.

During the off-season, the organization has been planning the next levels of Warzone for CDL, including the widespread esports community. CDL has already expanded places to engage the player base. These are areas that fans can expect CDL to maintain its entrepreneurial position. Additional news from relevant sources shows that the CDL is currently expanding its Path to Pro system. This measure will boost the production worth of pre-recorded videos and dabble with the Call of Duty world’s latest titles.

Other plans for CDL

Additionally, the CDL has excellent plans in place for the second season. The step comes after challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and other technical issues. For instance, the pro games which took place in 2020 encountered server hitches, hindered players, and even extended into the Championship weekend.

Regarding server issues, Faries didn’t mention server speeds or locations. However, she stated the league is carefully working with teams to develop a more robust system for the 2021 season. For now, fans should wait and expect great scenes and delivery in this year’s season as hopes for CDL expansion create exciting news in the coming months.

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Image Credit: Call of Duty League
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